Retrieve the carrier’s delivery record before an interstate debt file goes cold

A tracking link may not be a lasting record

The interstate builder is not paying and the only delivery evidence in your inbox is a carrier tracking link. Obtain the relevant records while they are available through authorised channels. Do not assume the link will always display the same information. A useful recovery file should preserve what the carrier actually recorded, with the limitations and unanswered questions visible.

Identify the shipment precisely

Imagine a supplier sending several pallets to a project in another state. Match consignment numbers, dispatch records and invoice references. Ask the carrier for the available delivery confirmation and associated information relevant to the shipment. Do not treat another consignment delivered to the same postcode as evidence for the disputed order simply because the dates are close.

Keep an accurate copy

business.gov.au recommends secure business records and backups. Save the carrier documents in a stable format with their source and retrieval date recorded. Retain the original link or reference as well. If the record contains a signature, time or delivery location, preserve the full context rather than cropping out information that may be needed to understand what it establishes.

Source: business.gov.au: Record keeping

Explain unusual delivery instructions

In the pallet example, goods may have been left at an agreed depot or accepted by a third party. Keep the customer's delivery instructions and any authority information beside the carrier record. Ask the lawyer how those facts affect the claim. Recorded delivery does not by itself resolve every question about quantity, condition, contractual acceptance or which entity owes the invoice.

Investigate discrepancies early

If the carrier's location, quantity or status differs from your dispatch records, ask for clarification and preserve the response. Avoid editing one document to match another. Identify missing packages and unresolved return movements separately. The adviser should receive the actual evidence, not a simplified summary that says delivered when part of the consignment remains uncertain.

Use the record in a proportionate response

Add the verified delivery information to the account reconciliation and obtain advice on the appropriate interstate recovery process. Keep jurisdiction and deadlines under separate review. Preserving the carrier's original information can reduce later reconstruction work, but it is supporting evidence rather than a guarantee that the builder has no defence or that the whole account is recoverable.